Huntress
by Ian Attari
Summary: A story about a pair of Jedi and their padawans as they attempt to track down a ruthless jed killing bounty hunter. My first story posted here far from my first written R&R be harsh.


The red-orange sky was thick with plumes of smoke rising from the battlefield. Atop the burning wreck of a Techno Union Homing Spider a dark figure stood, clad in a brown robe. The Geonosian wind whipped the cloak back and forth. Ten feet below a white armored figure approached the smoldering war machine.

"General." he called out in his Mid Rim Accent. The dark figure looked to the trooper, the hood of his robe blowing back to reveal his gleaming black eyeless head.

(Yes Raye?) A voice seemed to echo in the clone's mind.

"General Xeno, Master Yoda is on the holocom." The Jedi turned back to survey the destruction and death laid out before him.

(Very well. Is Ralitar back?) Raye nodded.

"Yes general, he returned not to long ago. There is no sign of the bounty hunter." Master Xeno nodded.

(I see) he back flipped off the wreck and landed beside the clone commander. Raye didn't move a muscle, most would feel intimidated standing beside a 8 foot tall monstrous creature with sharp talons and needle like teeth, but it took more than that to bother a well trained clone trooper.

"Right this way gene-" the Jedi walked past him, heading straight for the temporary HQ the clones had set up. Clone commander Raye followed behind him, the Shadow Killer's huge strides forcing Raye to quicken his pace to keep up.

When they got nearer to the command tent they could hear the loud flamboyant voice of the other Jedi who shared the command. "Look, we scoured the canyon for two hours, I'm telling you, this Denton guy is long gone." Xeno pushed open the tent's flap and walked in, Raye was right behind him. On the table in the center of the room was a holoprojector displaying an image of Master Yoda.

"Hidden, perhaps, he may be. Search more you must." Yoda instructed the Jedi Knight.

(Infernal machine) Xeno thought, loud enough for those nearby to hear.

"Allow me general." Raye offered, "Master Yoda, due to General Xeno's non-standard method of communication I will be a direct conduit to you from him." The diminutive green alien nodded.

"Then make it so." Raye coughed and turned to face Xeno.

"General..." he prompted.

(Master Yoda, we scoured the cliffs to the North as well, I believe that Denton has gotten away) Raye relayed the message in real time. Yoda nodded.

"I see. So then he has escaped. A monster he is, we must not allow him to slip away again." The other Jedi stood.

"That guy is a beast, how can we just sit here when he's out there somewhere making someone's life a hell. He killed Master De'varrik for that he has to pay." Yoda gave him a stern look.

"Be wary of your feelings you must Jedi Ralitar, anger leads to hate, lust for revenge is a path to the dark side." Ralitar nodded and bowed.

"Yes Master Yoda I realize this but-"

(Show some respect) Xeno cut in. Jax froze mid word, he knew better than to disobey his former master.

(What of your padawan? What has she uncovered?)

"She hasn't returned yet, she found a Geonosian colony and she was compelled to help them." Jax told him, almost grudgingly.

"Her kindness will be her undoing." Raye muttered under his breath.

"No need to worry Raye." a feminine voice said from behind them. Raye looked at the one who originally gave him his name and Ralitar's padawan Crovin.

"Yes Ma'am." Raye Replied.

She stepped into the command tent, her blonde hair tainted red from dust. "We searched that whole valley, he is gone, I found a possible landing site but he must have left hours ago." Jax looked back at Yoda.

"There you see, our search here is hopeless, he is already gone, we're wasting our time."

(Patience) Xeno instructed him.

"But there's a war going on out there! It's our duty to ACK-" Jax gulped as Xeno grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close.

(Patience Hatchling, you are still green, and this war is young. You will get a chance to prove yourself) Jax nodded. Xeno released him. Yoda gave Ralitar a curious, almost amused look and continued.

"Gone he may be. Leave you may if the time you think it is Master Xeno, your fleet is needed elsewhere as Jedi Ralitar so eloquently put it: a war out there, there is." Xeno bowed.

(Thank you master Yoda, I do believe our task is complete as well. Where do you have need of my forces?)

Again Raye conveyed the message. Yoda motioned and a map of a planetary system came up, "Naru. A Snowy world. A separatist stronghold it is. A likely hiding place for Denton it may be. Take your forces there you must." Xeno bowed and the hologram faded.

(Make it so) Xeno instructed and walked for the tent exit.

"What of you padawan?" Raye called after him, he froze.

(Miss Antica will get what she deserves) Raye winced to himself; Xeno was the most disciplined and disciplinary Jedi out there. Why he always selected the rebellious padawans was beyond him. The clone looked over to a Sergeant in the corner of the tent.

"Take a detachment and find her." he snapped. The clone saluted and in an identical voice replied, "Right away sir!"

"Let me come." Jessary Crovin demanded from beside Jax. The clones couldn't refuse her orders so instead Raye looked to Ralitar for assistance.

"Make it so." he said in an exact imitation of Xeno which was probably unintentional.

"Yes General." Raye said with as much defiance as was possible in a clone. The young padawan followed the clones out of the room.

The wind whipped Antica's long scarlet hair around. "He's angry isn't he?" she asked over her shoulder to the team of clones and lone Jedi that had found her.

"What in the name of the council happened here?" Jessary asked using one of her typical cheesy replacement words.

"An ambush, looks a few diehards still exist." Antica turned around entirely to face the groups. Her black leather garb was hot in the Geonosisian sun, but it mattered little a simple mediation exercise helped keep her cool. The two girls locked eyes. Defiance shone proudly in Antica's.

"I wasn't going to leave; if I did we wouldn't be able to find them again." Jessary had to back down at that point.

"Yes but, these Geonosian are hardly molted, they're just worker drones, why would they attack?" Antica shrugged.

"Who's to say, they're just bugs after all." Jessary's green eyes flashed with anger.

"The Geonossian's have a very beautiful and intricate living system, their life cycle, while short, is very meaningful." Antica just blinked.

"Of course. Well, I guess I should be going, it appears that the fleet is leaving." she gestured at a flock of gunships rising into the air. Jessary just crossed her arms.

"I'm coming." Antica sighed and stood, following the clone troopers back to the camp. Jessary paused and looked back the Geonosian bodies. With another look back at the leaving party she walked down into the small meteor crater they were in. The bodies were mostly drones, there was one warrior among them, a small scattering of sonic blasters lay around them.

The squad of clones and the two padawans walked into camp several minuets later.

"Sorry master, I was ambushed by a Geonosian patrol." Antica said dully. Xeno nodded.

(I want you to load this squadron of gunships) he said simply.

She blinked, "That's all? No duel?" Xeno spread his lips in an eerie toothy grin.

(Using the force, if you're not done in five minutes then we will spar) Antica's blue eyes simmered with anger.

"Yes Master." the Shadow Killer turned and boarded the Acclamator. Antica whirled around to face the twelve aircraft. "No problem."

Five minuets later she had moved two. Antica paused, clenching her fists. With a surge of anger she lifted the remaining ten gunships and placed them in the hangar all at once. She sighed and brushed aside a stray lock of hair, then boarded the ship.

Chapter 1: Conflict at Naru

Jax sat in his typical seat on the bridge, arm crossed in front of himself, Jessary stood just behind him, and Xeno stood in the center of the bridge. Commander Raye was busy overseeing the loading of the fleet's three Acclamators, the _Judiciary_, the _Hope of Manaan_, and the _Bestine IV_. Antica entered the bridge casually.

"No problems master." she informed Xeno.

(Very well, we'll continue in briefing room C-11) She bowed and walked out of the room.

"You ever think you're too hard on her?" Jax asked his former master. The alien looked towards him.

(I treated you the same) he replied. Jax chuckled.

"Yeah, but I gave up trying to beat you after our third battle." Xeno shrugged, doing his best to imitate a human gesture.

(If the hatchling still believes it is more powerful, then it may try to win) Jax nodded.

"Alright well me and Jessary have got things covered here, you go ahead." Xeno bowed and walked out of the room. Jax went back to examining his lightsaber.

"I sure hope Owrle can get enough food for his clan without us around." Jessary said solemnly while staring out of the bridge viewport.

"Well, they're bugs, I'm sure they can get the crumbs out from behind freeze chambers and plasma cookers. Jessary sent him back an angry glare. "I'm sorry, I'm sure they'll be fine, those hydroponics kits you gave them should help out. Now of course if our ship runs out of food we'll have to resort to canabilism." Raye looked back at Jax.

"Don't worry Raye, we'll eat you last." the Jedi said jokingly. Raye looked back at his console.

"Are lift off preparations complete?" he asked.

"Yes, all cargo has been stowed for takeoff." his identical brother replied. Raye smiled.

"Alright, thanks Gamma 45. Lift off."

Antica stepped into the dark room. Typical, Xeno operated better in the dark, since he saw in electromagnetic pulses. Antica raised her left and and called her saber into it. Her blue saber activated, the bluish glow illuminated Xeno's hulking form behind her. She whirled and slashed. By the time her blade got there it passed through empty space. She paused.

Behind her again? No. She turned around and pressed her back to the door. Her eyes failed to get acclimated to the darkness because of the bright glow cast by her saber. It did little more than cast dark flickering shadows across the room.

(You're not afraid of the dark are you?) Antica snickered and walked forward slowly. The center holotable was too small to conceal Xeno, so where was he? The scrape of claws on metal. Antcia whirled and raised her lightsaber. Xeno was crawling across the floor at high speeds. He stood and juked around her. Antic dropped her lightsaber horizontally to intercept him. He stopped dead, his talons dug into the floorboards. Antica's eyes opened wide as he punched a fist into her gut. He pulled the punch to avoid doing any more than causing her extreme discomfort She reeled backwards. When Antica finally hit the table and fell onto her back on it she coughed hard. Xeno came from nowhere, Antica slashed furiously with her saber, he evaded all of her sweeps and drove and elbow into her gut. As fast as he struck he withdrew. Antica fell off the table and coughed hard, she felt like she would throw up.

(Who trained you, a Jedi healer? You call those combat skills?) Antica lay on the floor gasping. (Done already?) Antica stood.

"No. Not yet." She raised her saber again and closed her eyes. It was clear, he was on the ceiling right above her. But now what? Use the desk. Antica focused hard on the desk, she felt it waver, now it was just a millimeter off the ground, perfect. She flung the table right at Xeno.

The Jedi master saw the table shift, he looked toward it. The large holotable was hurtled toward him. Xeno sprung off the roof away from the table which crashed into the roof. Now he could plainly see the look of disbelief on her face. He sprung off the ground, planting his feet on her hips and grabbing onto her shoulders he tackled her back until she slammed into the far wall with him still holding onto her. Xeno opened his mouth. (You're getting slower) the table fell back to earth behind him. Antica clenched her teeth.

"Get off of me." Xeno released her and fell to the ground, the straightened up to full hieght.

(Go back to the bridge). Antica looked up at Xeno.

"Why won't you use your saber?" she demanded.

(I defeated you with no force and no lightsaber, you are not ready) Antica slammed a fist into the bulkhead.

"I AM ready. Hit me with your best shot!" she pulled her saber to her hand from the floor and turned it on. Xeno stopped.

(Put your sword away) Antica leaped through the air, her lightsaber raised over head. Xeno swung and intercepted her by extending a hand to catch her by her neck . He opened his mouth and screeched. (PUT IT AWAY) Antica felt her lightsaber pulled, out of her hand. Xeno froze, (I said you're not ready. Shri'kari is the ultimate act, when the student challenes the teacher in a fight with weapons. Not, until it is time) he turned and walked out of the room. Antica stood dumfounded by this, rubbing her neck and trying to get her breath back. A fight to the death.

The bounty hunter Adam Denton sat in his pilot seat. The cold, Rancor leather was a comfortable change from the harsh climate of Geonosis. Adam slowly removed his helmet, and placed it upon the dashboard next to him. Reaching down into one of his red Mandalorian armor's pockets, he grabbed nine lightsabers and placed them along with his helmet.

"Fifteen hundred credits extra, per Jedi." Adam said with a smirk. Turning back to his controls, he immediately set a course for the CIS rendezvous area. His IFX-11 Dropship's engines purred to life, as he engaged the engines. The large Dark olive Dropship, jumped into hyperspace. Reaching the large fleet of CIS ships, Adam took his IFX _Blood Hawk_ to a docking station on the large Trade Federation Battleship known as _Mantiore Rising_. Adam stood up from his comfortable leather chair the moment his ship's landing struts touched down upon the hard metal. Grabbing his helmet and trophies, Adam walked down the extending ramp. Four battle droids waiting for him.

One of the skeletal droids stood erect and in a metallic voice said "Right this way." Adam followed the droid towards the conference room. Entering the large oval room Adam stood next to a chair. His employer stood in the center of the room, desks surrounding him.

"Ah, Denton." Count Dooku said, most pleased in his return. Adam said nothing but dropped the lightsabers onto the table. The Count's eyes shifted to the trophies. "Indeed, you will receive your bonus bounty hunter." Adam waited for what the Count had to say next. Dooku simply motioned to another door, on the opposite end of the room. The door hissed open, and a large cloaked figure entered. Its white armored face, with two reptilian eyes turned towards him. Denton nodded slightly, probably the closest thing to respect he would ever show. The giant cyborg turned its eyes down to see the object clenched in his gloved fist.

"Is that-!?" he said in shock, his Kaleeshian accent sounded so misplaced in his cybernetic body.

"Yes general, it's a lightsaber." The figure snatched it from his hand and examined it, turning on the blade, it was Gold. He seemed disappointed. "You were...hoping for a different color?" he suggested.

"Yellow." The thing known as Grievous replied dourly"I thought it was yellow."

Adam thought hard, there weren't many Yellow lightsabers out there. "Master Danchiu?" he asked. Grievous said nothing. "It's Xeno isn't it?" he asked again, remembering the hulking Shadow Killer. Grievous snarled at the sound of his name, he thought back to their encounter in the catacombs. "You wanted his saber?" he asked, Grievous turned to show Adam his cloaked back, "Of course, but I wanted to take it from his cold, dead and severed hand." Denton nodded and stored that information away in his head. Dooku coughed politely.

"Yes...of course. But we have more pressing matters." Grievous turned to face him, clasping his six fingered metallic arms behind his back. Denton turned to look as well. Dooku was looking out of the sweeping, expansive viewport on the _Mantiore Rising'_s observation room. "Are you familiar with the planet of Naru?" Denton had a feeling the question was addressed at him.

"Yes, it's a small snowy world; fell into an ice age after the Second Sith War if I'm right." Dooku nodded.

"Indeed you are. Naru had long aspired to overtake Coruscant as the new galactic capital; the only problem was they were too isolated. They grew bitter, and when the Sith rose up against the Jedi a battle was fought over the skies of Naru. In their haste to destroy the Sith they let thousands of destroyed ship fall from the sky and onto the surface of the world. They've been in an ice age ever since." Denton blinked in surprise.

"The Jedi caused it?" Dooku slowly nodded his head.

"More or less, yes, the primary reason Naru joined us. They are a leading manufacturer of Battle Droids. They also make several types of droid walkers and tanks. I have commissioned them to create several custom models, one of which may soon replace the B-1 as our primary infantry unit." This was news to the bounty hunter.

"I see." he said. The Count turned around to face him, a look of near disappointment on his face.

"I'm not sure you do. Until they complete the design of the MkII, Naru is a crucial world to keep. Unfortunately our forces are in no shape to relieve the beleaguered planet. So, I am sending you to personally make sure that the MkII is not captured, you mission is to keep the chief designer, Harmon Kall safe until he is finished, then you bring the designs back to me." Denton nodded slowly.

"It will be done my lord." Dooku turned to Grievous.

"And as for you, your mission is to break the Republic blockade long enough for the bounty hunter to escape." Grievous bowed.

"As you wish."

"The First fleet is moving onward, I have business in the...Caltross system." Denton was confused.

"What's in the Caltross system? That whole area is unexplored."

"You mission is to do what I say, not ask unnecessary questions." Denton nodded and walked out of the room. Grievous watched him go then looked back at Dooku.

"I don't like working with mercenaries." he threw malice into the word; he had bad experiences with the Huk Mercenaries that fought his warriors on Kalee. Dooku chuckled.

"Easy my friend, he is no threat to us. He will serve his purpose, then become obsolete." _Much as you will someday you filthy alien, _he added silently. Grievous bowed again.

"Go tell Captain Haxxor to turn the ship about and set a course for Manaan." Grievous growled.

"I don't like dealing with his Nemoidian scum." Dooku chuckled but made no answer.

The Lord of Blades fleet exited hyper space over the planet of Naru. It was a pure white world. grey where heavy clouds obscured the ground, no terrain features could be made out from space.

"We have arrived in planetary orbit of the planet of Naru." Raye informed Master Xeno. The Shadow Killer nodded. A slight beeping indicated a hail from a friendly force.

"It's Master Kelvan." Raye informed Xeno. The alien gestured.

(Put him on screen) Raye did so. The face of a Rodian appeared on the main screen, he looked shocked.

"Master Xeno-!" he began in Rodese

"General." a technician called out from his terminal. The commander of Naru's air intercept system looked over. "We have three Acclamator class cruiser within range of the primary Hyper Velocity Gun." The general smiled a blood thirsty smile.

"Idiots, take them down, focus fire power on one ship, when the others move in to help, nab 'em." The tech turned back to his station with a smile.

"This'll teach 'em to mess with Naru."

Raye cut off Master Kelvan. "General! I detect a high velocity object approaching the Hope of Manaan!" Xeno shrieked in outrage just as the upper deck of the Hope of Manaan exploded upward, the ship bent as if its spine had been broken. A hole that you could fly a corvette through had appeared in the cruiser's side.

"It's a Hyper Velocity Gun!" Jax exclaimed, jumping from his seat.

"Firing cycle complete, shell away...it's a hit." the Tech said. "Give them two more rounds, one next to the old one, one right through the bridge."

Xeno whirled to face the image of Kelvan, of course his words couldn't be heard over the comlink so Jax jumped to his aid.

"You didn't warn us about the HVG!?" Kelvan spread his hands.

"I had no idea you would arrive so close to the planet." hetried to explain.

"Those men's deaths are on your hands!" Jax exclaimed. The Hope of Manaan began to vent Oxygen and debris at an alarming rate from the massive hole through it's center, it had begun a lazy roll.

"We have to do something." Jessary said with some concern. A second hole was ripped in the rear of the craft, just behind the bridge. "Right, take two corvettes and a dreadnaught to gather survivors. They should be too small to detect." Jax informed her. "I'm going too." he told Xeno who then grabbed his collar.

(You are needed to coordinate the rescue, Padawan Jessary is quite capable of handling herself). Jax paused, nodded then sat down. Jessary was already out the door and heading for the hangar.

"General, the fleet is pulling back, they're sending in smaller support craft to retrieve survivors, the biggest ship is a Dreadnaught." the general muttered a curse under his breath.

"Alright, we always have First fleet." he said. The man looked at him.

"But General Grievous said-"

"Forget what that idiot said, now is the time to use them. Send in the _Blood Harpy_, _Grave Digger_ and _Dead Reckoning_." the technician nodded. "We'll make them pay for the Great Freeze." The general added.

"General, the _Chancellor's Blade_ reports two Frigates and one battleship approaching their position!" Raye shouted. Xeno looked off to the left of the large viewport, and sure enough a small fleet was coming on fast. Two modified Narusian Heavy Freighters and a single Luwhreck Ring battleship. Xeno hissed with displeasure.

(Launch our Dreadnaught escort to engage, we can't risk the Acclamators. Prep all starfighters for combat) Raye nodded. Antica stood up. (Where are you going?) Xeno asked without looking.

"Well we are in a war, I'm going to help fight." she replied.

Antica arrived in the fighter hangar of the Judiciary. A clone pilot rushed over and threw her a salute. She returned it. "Commander Snowshore, your fighter is prepped and ready." She nodded and approached her personalized Delta-7, it was Black and Gold, with a small red R-6 head sticking out of the side.

"Hey Tweak. How's it going?" she asked while settling into her command chair. The little droid warbled something incomprehensible; the monitor inside her cockpit informed her about a Binary Load lifter who had nearly knocked over her fighter in an attempt to get around it. Antica smiled, "Well don't worry, I'm sure it won't happen again." all around her the Torrent Starfighters were lifting off and launching ahead to fight the oncoming Narusian fleet. Antica tapped the cockpit seal and felt her cabin pressurize. "Tweak, set us a course for the battle." The diminutive astromech whistled an affirmative and her starfighter lifted into the air. "Let's roll."

"Admiral! The Republic has launched a frigate group and fighters to intercept us." The man spun and looked through the view provided by the huge sweeping viewports of the Luwhreck Ring Carrier. The admiral growled.

"Tell the _Serendipity_ to swing around and give a lateral broadside into the oncoming forces, have torpedo tubes armed with canister rounds." the Admiral grinned savagely. The controller nodded and turned back to his station.

The crippled _Hope of Manaan_ drifted helplessly amidst a sea of debris that was slowly spreading off of its own body. All around it a large host of rescue craft drifted as well, picking up escape pods and in extreme cases boarding the wreck itself to offload those not lucky enough to get off on pods. Jessary Stared intently at the dying vessel. The bridge of the _Chancellor's Blade_ was alive with activity. The Holocom was deluged with distress calls, not only from the automated pod beacons, but by survivors trapped in airtight compartments. Jessary didn't need to hear their calls to know people were dying, she could feel it, through the force. Like lights turning off. It made her shudder to think about.

"Colonel. Take us in closer." Jessary ordered. The young officer looked at her as if she said she had the Brain Plague.

"Are you nuts?" he asked plainly. He was one of a growing number of volunteers in the Grand Army of the Republic.

"Not at all. If we are going to save these people we have to get in close. Prepare your boarding teams for rescue operations at once." She said assuredly. The colonel stared at her dumbfounded.

"You Jedi are all crazy." He said reluctantly then switched on the intercom. "All hands prepare for boarding operations, all airtight bulkheads sealed, let's move it people." The general alert sounded across the whole ship and Jessary felt the subtle fluctuations as the ship maneuvered itself to approach the debris cloud.

"If you need me I'll be with the away team." Jessary said calmly, trying to keep her head clear.

"Yes Ma'am. Good luck out there." The Colonel said. She nodded and smiled greatfully. The door closed behind her and the Colonel sighed.

"Force be with her…" and then shouted "All hands combat positions!"

Jax watched the two opposing fleets meet at the wreckage of the lost Acclamator.

"Blast." He said quietly. His ships were out gunned; the fleet was being forced to keep its distance. There was another harsh blare from the early warning system and the HVG sent a shell tearing through the atmosphere. It left a visible trail in the debris. He watched the Dreadnaught that contained his padawan begin to edge closer to the wrecked Acclamator.

_Be careful Padawan_. He sent the message across the force, hoping it would reach his padawan.

(Have faith Ralitar, she is well trained. I am sure she can handle herself.) Xeno thought at Jax. His former student nodded slightly.

"Of course, but I don't only fear for her, have you thought about how many beings will die during the course of this war? How many innocents...how many soldiers…how many Jedi." Xeno turned away from Jax and looked out the viewport.

(Challenges are inevitable. We will meet this threat head on. No matter what the outcome is, we will know we did all we could to keep tyranny from prevailing.) Jax watched two droid starfighters swoop past the viewport. The red flashes of the Acclamators Quad laser batteries flash past behind them.

"General Xeno. The enemy fleet has ours severely outgunned, permission to retreat." Commander Raye asked. Xeno shook his head solemnly.

(We cannot abandon our men. We shall not allow the separatists victory on this day.)

Raye saluted after a moment of hesitation.

"Have Master Kelvan bring his fleet about to aid us in our rescue attempt." Jax ordered. Raye saluted again and strode off to comply. Jax turned back to the view of the battle and stood beside his former master. "This had better work."

The crippled _Hope of Manaan _drifted helplessly amidst a sea of debris that was slowly spreading off of its own body. All around it a large host of rescue craft drifted as well, picking up escape pods and in extreme cases boarding the wreck itself to offload those not lucky enough to get off on pods. The Dreadnaught, _Pride of Dantooine_ eased closer to the crippled craft. Jessary stood silently on the bridge staring into the debris the white armored body of a clone drifted past the viewport, his oxygen supplies had no doubt run out by now. Jessary fought to keep her emotions in check, all around her she felt the sting of lives being extinguished.

"Commander Crovin, what are your orders?" the captain asked her.

"Prepare all boarding craft and give me as many troopers as you can, we are going aboard to help the survivors." The man nodded.

"You got it." He replied and passed those instructions onto his subordinates. The _Pride_ shuddered and there was a loud explosion. The captain turned to his display.

"Ma'am! The _Jewel of the Republic_ has taken a direct hit from the Hyper Velocity Gun!" he shouted. Jessary could have guessed as much at the sudden loss of life she felt. The _Jewel_ was a small craft being only a corvette. Taking a direct HVG shell hit wouldn't leave much of anything of it left. As much as it hurt her to think about it, searching for survivors' would be useless.

"Commander Crovin, the boarding craft are ready." He told her. Jessary nodded.

"Very well, keep up your Extravehicular rescue operation as long as possible, I will only be a minute." With that she left the bridge heading for the hangar.

The fighter swarm left the _Judidicary. _Antica followed them closely, loving the feel of her Delta-7.

"All squadrons pick your targets and prepare to engage, remember we are here only to keep those ships off of our Battle Cruisers." She spoke quickly, the oncoming enemy fleet rushing her words. "All fighters break on my mark…" red lasers flashed past her canopy rapidly. "Now!" at this she pushed her throttle to full and rocketed toward the enemy fighters.

Antica squeezed her firing toggles. Blue lasers leaped from her guns and chewed apart an approaching Vulture droid. "Ha!" she rolled to the right and the flaming wreck tumbled past her. After it had cleared her field of vision she could clearly see the enemy fleet. It was makeshift at best. Four Cardinal Class Bulk Transports that had been modified with turbolaser batteries and laser cannons. And a single Luwhreck class Ring ship. The vessels themselves were laughable as combat craft, the guns mounted on them however were not. The republic's fighters were getting through the enemy fighter screen easily enough, now they had formed up and were pushing ahead of the capital ships in a defensive screen. A single Cardinal swung hard to port so it cut across the path between the republic fleet and the Luwhreck. That was when Antica saw the muzzle flashes across its starboard flank.

"Ma'am they're-" Steel leader was cut off in a burst of static and his Torrent was torn to shreds.

"Canister Rounds! _Shiens_!" Antica used a Balosarian word she picked up during her youth on Coruscant. More clouds of shrapnel hurtled past her, tearing gaps in the fighter formation. That was when the primary swarm of Separatist fighters poured from the enemy fleet.

"Break formation, fall back and engage them as they pass." Antica instructed the fighters then after receiving a flurry of(affirmatives she contacted the _Chancellor's Blade_. "I need you to punch through that fighter cloud and strike directly at the Luwhreck. If we can at least drive it off the other ships should follow, if I'm right Nemoidians are commanding those vessels and they spook easily."

"Right away Ma'am." The ships captain replied and the Dreadnaught pushed forward, its corvette escort following along.

Jax saw the detachment assigned to Antica begin to move ahead and engage the enemy force.

"She seems to be holding her own." He said admiringly.

(You expected something else?) Jax looked back at Xeno.

"I was afraid she would do something rash. I have confidence in her as a commander though." Xeno turned his cold gaze to the remnants of the _Manaan_.

(What of your padawan? How is she doing?) Jax closed his eyes for a moment and reached out with the force to her. He felt her reach back reassuringly.

"Seems to be okay, a little nervous I think, but steady." Xeno nodded.

(Good. These Naruvians fight hard. They think they are fighting to avenge the ruination of their home planet but they are just pawns in this war, they can't seem to grasp that.) Jax looked out the forward viewport past the flashes of the battle and saw the white disc of Naru.

"They have been blinded by rage." Jax replied.

Antica pushed her fighter to the limits. Juking and dodging stray lasers that flew past all around her.

"Red Leader, this is Major Snowshore, I want your squadron to form up on me we are going after the enemy flagship." Antica said quickly.

"As you wish." The clone pilot responded. Antica saw the 20 or so Torrent Fighters form on her wing. She then pressed down on her left rudder pedal and banked her ship toward the Trade Federation battleship that hung in the middle of the enemy battle group like a deadly ornament.

"Green leader, Blue leader, fly screening patterns on our flank, keep the enemy from getting enfilading fire on us." She instructed.

"Right away Ma'am." A clone replied.

"Full speed ahead, red group, set your deflectors to double front." She said, mentally bracing herself and spreading out her force awareness as far as she could. It would give her a slight edge in combat.

"Here they come." Red Leader said, he did not have the same speech patterns she had grown used to with Commander Raye, he was one of the newer model clones with his own accent.

"Stay on target, let Green and Blue handle them." She commanded. There were several acknowledgments. The droid starfighters rocketed past, they shot wildly at Red squadron. Antica deftly avoided them using her force abilities. By the sound of the radio chatter and the ensuing screams she knew that several of her squadron didn't make it through intact.

"Red two, hold my Six!" Red leader instructed. Red two acknowledged.

"Red group, stay together and keep lose; we're entering the Flagships firing range." Antica said over her radio. The ring ship rapidly grew in her viewport. Antica clenched her teeth and pushed her throttle forward. Tweak shrieked in alarm when a laser flew to close for comfort. "Come get some." The padawan said to no one in particular and dove straight at the command deck.

"Admiral! The Repulic is trying a frontal assault!" one of the many Neimoidian technicians cried out from his station. Admiral Deltross turned his large amber eyes to the primary veiwport. A Jedi starfighrer screamed past, a volley of laser bolts hitting around the command bridge.

"Jedi!? They have sent Jedi after us!" he exclaimed. Quickly regaining composure he began shouting orders. "Fall back within protective range of the the HVG and set up a defensive pattern.

"Master Xeno." Antica's voice came in, garbled, over the comlink. "We have driven off the main battle fleet." The Shadow Killer opened his mouth in an imitation of a grin.

"Good work Antica. Have the fleet return to our holding position." Jax told her.

"What about Jessary? She's still aboard the Hope of Manaan." Jax looked at the crippled vessel.

"Have your men pull back. I'll tell her to get clear."

Lives all around her were being extinguished. The young padawan preformed a calming technique and reached out with the force. She could sense life on the other side of the bulkhead.

"Here." she instructed the clone sergeant.

"Right. Here men!" the clones rushed into action and began to saw down the bulkhead. Jessary looked to her right into the smoky haze that filled the innards of the Hope of Manaan and spied the closed blast door at the end of the hall. She felt another cold wave cross her as more died.

"Ma'am!" the sergeant shouted. Jessary followed the troopers into the sea compartment. A scattering of crew members lay about on the floor, passed out from smoke inhalation.

"Get them out of here!" she ordered. The wreckage shuddered violently as another HVG shell streaked by. Through the din of the rescue effort she could still make out the tone of her personal comlink.

"Jessary." she said upon answering. It was her master.

"Padawan, you have to abandon your rescue efforts, that last shot came to close." she looked around the ship and then nodded in understanding.

"I will be off in five minutes." she returned. Jax seemed satisfied with this and nodded.


End file.
